Curtain-fastener.



PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907.

INVENTOR WITNESSES 'ru: NORRIS PETERS 60-, wnsmmzrou, o. c,

JESSE H. MATTHEWVS, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

CURTAlN-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

Application filed April 19,1906. Serial No. 312,607

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, J nssn H. 1\1ATTHEWS, of Des Moines, Polk county, Iowa, have invented a new and useful Curtain-Fastener, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whicn- Bigure 1. is a side view of a vehicle-top, showrng different positions of the fastener. 1* ig. 2 is a front elevation of the fastener, an Big. 3 is a section on the line 111 111 of 1 ig. 2. B ig. 4 is a view similar to liig. 3, showing the fastener or clasp open.

My invention relates to curtain-fasteners employed upon vehicles and similar places.

The object of the invention is to provide a fastener which may be attached to the carriage or vehicle and which will act to clamp the edge portion of a curtain without the use of any knob or fastening attachment for the curtain. The fastener will act upon any portion of the curtain which may be brought into position relative to the fastener.

A further object of the invention is to provide a curtain-fastener which may be operated from either the inside or outside of the carriage or vehicle top.

111 the drawings 1 show the fastener as C011. sisting of a base-plate 2, having perforated hinge-ears 3, within which project the trunnions or short side lugs of the swinging clamp member 4. The swinging member is forced into locking position or released by any suitable means, and for this purpose 1 have shown the operating or controlling means in the form of an oscillating camplate 5, having oppositely-extending handle portions 6 and 7 projecting from its opposite sides. These handle portions extend, respectively, through slots 8 and 9 in the base-plate and the swinging clamp member. The inner handle projects through the cover A, which is provided with a hole registering with the slot in the baseplate. The width of the controller-plate is such that when it is thrown into locking position it will force the clamping end 10 of the swinging member against the edge portion of the curtain B to lock it securely in place. The flat controller-plate is at this time in a plane transverse to the swinging member and is preferably carried slightly past the plane at right angles thereto. The base-plate may be secured to the cover or curtain in any suitable manneras, for example, by prongs l1,'

which are forced through the cloth or material and bentdown on the inside. These prongs may be bent over an inner protectingplate 12, having a slot for the internal handle.

In using the device it may be applied to any part of the edge portion of the top or curtain, and wh en the mating e dge of tli e curtain or top is slipped between the two clam ping members an'd the handle thrown to swing the controller the parts will be securely locked together. The curtain may be detached either from the inside or outside by one of the two projecting handles of the controller.

The advantages of my invention result from the cheapness and simplicity of the device and from doing away with any clamping hole or member on one of the curtains or top portions. This allows the curtain or top to be clamped at any desire d part thereof. The double handle-controller where this is used enablesthe clamp to be detache d either from the inside or outside of the vehicle-top.

The clamping device may be clamped either to the curtain or to the door, and many chan es may be made in the form of the clamping device within the scope of the claims without departing from my invention.

1 claim 1. A clasp comprising a pair of clamping members, an oscillating locking-cam plate working between the members and provided with a handle at each end of the plate, each handle lying at the outer side of the adjacent clamping member, substantially as described.

2. A clasp having a pair of clamping members, an oscillating controller working between the members, and handles carried by opposite ends of the controller, each handle lying at the outer side of the adjacent clamping member, substantially as described.

3. A clasp comprising a pair of hinged clamping members, and an oscillating controller working between the members and provided with a handle at each end, each handle lying at the outer side of the adjacent clamping member, substantially as described.

4. A. clasp comprising a pair of slotted and pivotally-connected clamping members, and a cam member working between and in frictional engagement with the clamping mem bers to swing them upon their pivotal connection, the cam member having handles projecting outwardly through the slots of the respective clamping members.

5. A clasp comprising a pair of clamping members pivotally connected between their ends and provided with slots in corresponding ends, and a cam member working between and in frictional engagement with the slotted ends of the clamping members to swing the latter upon their pivotal connection, said cam member having handles projecting outwardly through the respective slots.

6. A clasp comprising a pair of clamping members, one of the members having spaced ears, the other member being disposed between and pivotally mounted upon the ears, corresponding ends of the clamping members being slotted, and a cam member working between and in frictional engagement with the slotted portions of the clamping members and provided with handles'projecting outwardly through the respective slots.

7. A clasp comprising a pair of pivotallyconnected clamping members, and oscillating operating means to swing the clamping members upon their pivotal connection said operating means having a handle at each end located upon the outer side of the adjacent clamping member.

8. A clasp having a pair of mutuallv-coopcrating clamping members, and oscillating operating means therefor provided at each end with a handle, each handle being at the outer side of the adjacent clamping member, substantially as described.

9. A clasp comprising a pair of pivotallyconnected slotted members, and a cam-plate working between and in frictional engagement with the members, said plate having laterally-reduced handles projecting from opposite ends thereof and extending outwardly through the slots of the respective members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JESSE H. MATTHEWS.

Witnesses:

F. I. KINGnoN, H. ROLLER. 

